Tags: Hyper-V

NEC teams with Microsoft for flexible, open, standards-based SDN for the cloud

Posted by Donald J Clark on Posted in Straight Talk Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

In case you missed it, NEC announced on October 7 the general availability of their integrated compute and network orchestration solution for Microsoft Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager customers. The streamlined infrastructure solution, with a REST-based northbound interface to applications from the ProgrammableFlow Software-defined Network and the integration with Virtual Machine Manager, enables application-aware networking and unprecedented levels of control and flexibility.

Mike Schutz, General Manager of Microsoft Product Marketing for the Server and Tools Group, talks about the collaboration between these strategic partners and the benefits customers can expect in a new video entitled NEC and Microsoft: Delivering Open, Standards-based SDN for Cloud. NEC is looking forward to demonstrating the technology at Microsoft TechEd May 12-15 in Houston, TX.

As a re-cap, here are key benefits customers can expect from this award-winning SDN solution:

  • Radically speeds network provisioning and configuration
  • Control data center traffic flow on a granular level, including dynamic, supplication-centric security policy for reduced OpEx and CapEx
  • Apply business policy consistently and automatically across the compute and network infrastructure for greater responsiveness to the business
  • Increase network visibility for greater manageability and accelerated troubleshooting
  • Enable isolated, secure multi-tenant networks for private clouds to meet compliance and service level goals
  • Improve throughput with the server and across the network fabric
  • Reduce power and footprint over traditional networks, with savings up to 80%
  • Scales to thousands of virtual networks, and hundreds of thousands of VMs
  • Provide an open, standards-based architecture for investment protection
  • Add, move or change virtual and physical networks in seconds from Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager, shaving days or weeks from traditional deployment models

For more information, go to necam.com/sdn, or customers can contact either NEC or their Microsoft reseller for further information.

Windows Server 2012: An opportunity for customers to take advantage of VM Mobility and Multi-tenancy

Posted by Bryan Williams on Posted in Straight Talk Tagged , , , , , ,

NEC has been working closely with Microsoft to make full use of the Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Extensible Switch to integrate and deliver an OpenFlow-based Software Defined Network.  Some particularly impressive use-cases around automation, multi-tenancy, VM mobility, and security will be rolling out in conjunction with this new capability.  This blog post looks at two of these.

ProgrammableFlow Fabric defines multi-tenant virtual networks in which tenants are isolated at the network level. With true traffic isolation between tenants, end systems belonging to one tenant network cannot reach end systems belonging to another tenant network. At the same time, each tenant can define its own customized layer-2 or layer-3 network and utilize inter-tenant isolation to effectively create a secured slice of the underlying physical network.

“ProgrammableFlow Network Suite unifies the physical and virtual network policy, creating the perfect complement to the Software-Defined Networking capabilities built into Windows Server 2012,” Microsoft’s Sandeep Singhal, General Manager, Windows Networking, tells us.  “Built for the cloud, Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V provides rich multi-tenancy and isolation capabilities.  The Hyper-V Extensible Switch enables NEC’s ProgrammableFlow Suite to provide an unified, end-to-end experience that is fully integrated into Windows.”

Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Use Case 1: VM Mobility and consistent policy over Virtual & Physical Networks

NEC Openflow SolutionBefore September and the availability of Windows Server 2012, you had to configure your policy multiple times for both physical and virtual networks.  In addition, if you wanted to move a virtual machine, it would typically require a network administrator to make those programming adjustments on the network.  This is a time-consuming, expensive process, and often served as a bottleneck to your business.

In the new world of Windows Server 2012 and ProgrammableFlow® Networking, such moves and changes will be transparent, negating the programming requirement exists today —Valuable technical resources can focus on service delivery rather than configuration management.  As VMs move, they will be instantly recognized by the OpenFlow-based ProgrammableFlow controller and the network topology will be automatically updated.  And this is the really cool part:  Using the extension provided by Windows Server 2012, NEC converts the Hyper-V Extensible Switch into an OpenFlow enabled virtual ProgrammableFlow switch.  Enabling OpenFlow enables end to end network visibility and control. When you input your business policy into Windows Server 2012, ProgrammableFlow is able to read that policy and apply it – over both the virtual and the physical network.

With these capabilities, Windows 2012 Server users can roll out new applications, or make changes to your business priorities. Windows Server 2012 and ProgrammableFlow will be there to support you.

Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Use Case 2:  Granular Security Policy Administration

A second use case addresses the increased sprawl of network appliances.  Using the flow control capabilities of ProgrammableFlow, network operators can redirect selected traffic flows into network appliances programmatically only as needed.  The result is fewer firewalls are required.  Even better, ProgrammableFlow works in tandem with Microsoft’s Hyper-V Network Virtualization to create a comprehensive Software-Defined Networking solution.

Faster processing.  Fewer bottlenecks.  More efficient use of resources.  Granular policy administration and prioritization of your network traffic are hallmarks of ProgrammableFlow networking.  We look forward to delivering it to you.

Contact your NEC representative today to learn more about these use cases, or how you can leverage ProgrammableFlow OpenFlow Network Fabric in your Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V installation.  Learn more by clicking here today: http://necam.com/pflow

 

ProgrammableFlow and Windows Server 2012 deliver Software Defined Networking to Private Cloud

Posted by Bryan Williams on Posted in Straight Talk Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEC ProgrammableFlow selected as Finalist for Microsoft Best of Tech Ed North America

ProgrammableFlow has been selected as a finalist for The Microsoft Best of TechEd (BOTE) North America Awards, produced by Windows IT Pro, SQL Server Pro, SharePoint Pro and Dev Pro, which recognizes innovative products and services being showcased this week in Orlando at Microsoft TechEd.  More than 300 products were nominated with finalists selected in 15 categories.  ProgrammableFlow is a finalist in the Networking category.

All registered attendees can vote for ProgrammableFlow to win by visiting the Best of TechEd webpage before 2 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, June 13.

As reported in a previous press release, we demonstrated a ProgrammableFlow Virtual Switch for Windows Server 2012 at Microsoft BUILD last fall.  We are continuing to march forward, in lock-step with Microsoft, leveraging the Hyper-V Extensible Switch application programming interface (API) to deliver the exciting benefits of OpenFlow and Software Defined Networking (SDN) to Windows Server 2012 customers.

With ProgrammableFlow, the entire network can be configured and monitored and controlled from a central point, including visualizing end-to-end network flows and drag and drop configuration and network design.  Network performance is also optimized by network level load balancing across multiple paths for more available bandwidth and faster network response.

Best of Microsoft TechEd 2012 FinalistProgrammableFlow leverages OpenFlow to separate the control plane from the data plane, which allows for network-wide virtualization and programming of the network.  With ProgrammableFlow, delivery of network services and benefits are dramatically accelerated.  No longer will the network be a bottleneck for the progress of the business.

This week (June 11-14) we are demonstrating ProgrammableFlow with Hyper-V again in the Microsoft Partner Pavilion (#18) at TechEd 2012 in Orlando.  Our own Su-hun Yun will be taking the stage at 1:30 on Wednesday, June 13, during the Tech Session led by Microsoft Bob Combs in a session called “Get Hands-on with the New Hyper-V Extensible Switch in Windows Server 2012”.  He will repeat the stage demo of ProgrammableFlow with Windows Server 2012 at TechEd in Europe June 29.  And we recently completed a short video on the capabilities, which you can access on the NEC YouTube channel here.  Stop by at TechEd and view this exciting new capability live if you are there!